this is a discussion within the Saints Community Forum; But it shouldn't really matter, because both sides have insisted they don't want Brees to play under the franchise tag this season, much less the next two years. Both sides have insisted they would prefer to work out a five-year ...

But it shouldn't really matter, because both sides have insisted they don't want Brees to play under the franchise tag this season, much less the next two years. Both sides have insisted they would prefer to work out a five-year deal. And the Saints have already offered Brees more than $18 million per year in a long-term contract.

For most of this offseason, the Saints have held firm to their offer of between $18 million and $19 million per year, while Brees' camp has pushed for closer to $21 million per year. Chances are the sides ultimately will agree on a five-year deal that pays Brees more than $40 million in the first two years either way.

Ultimately, they likely will reach a five-year deal worth somewhere between $19.2 million and $20 million per year, passing up Peyton Manning's recent five-year, $96 million deal as the richest in NFL history. And they'll likely get it done before the July 16 deadline for franchised players to reach long-term deals.

So really, this latest debate is just another part of the negotiating standoff that has gone on too long. And it really shouldn't have a major impact on the outcome.